Chpba Division Rules Cheviot Hills Pony Baseball Association (Chpba)1
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CHPBA DIVISION RULES CHEVIOT HILLS PONY BASEBALL ASSOCIATION (CHPBA)1 1. DEFAULT TO MAJOR LEAGUE RULES: Play is governed by Official Baseball Rules: “The Sporting News” edition. These Divisional rules of play contain only those exceptions to Official Baseball Rules that the Board of Directors has deemed are reasonable and necessary for this Division. Umpires may not impose their own personal or local rules, unless agreed to by both managers before the game. All players, managers, coaches and spectators are subject to the CHPBA Code of Conduct & Sportsmanship, Disciplinary Rules and Protest Procedures which are incorporated herein by reference. Pinto specific rules below will be headed in red. Mustang specific rules will be headed in green, and Bronco specific rules will be headed in blue. 2. LEGAL PLAYERS: Players will be assigned to teams only by the CHPBA office or the Division commissioner. Teams may only play legal players. A team may assume that a player has met all the conditions of legality for purposes of league play if the player’s name appears on a team roster issued by the CHPBA office or Division commissioner, or if the team receives official written notification by the CHPBA office or Division commissioner that the player may be added to the team. Players may only play for their assigned team (except as may be permitted by Rule 6C(4)(d) below). Any team who, knowingly or unknowingly, uses an illegal player during a game exposes its coaching staff to discipline and may be later deemed to have forfeited the game. Players will be assigned to teams according to their skill level and the following age guidelines: PINTO Pinto Division is for 7- and 8-year-old players. No player turning 9 earlier than September 1 or turning 7 later than August 31 of the season in question shall be eligible for Pinto division unless specifically approved by the Pinto Division Commissioner and the Executive Committee. Any player who has played 2 years previously in Pinto at CHPBA, was an All Star, and is eligible to enter a 3rd year of Pinto may opt to play in Mustang if such player conducts a Mustang tryout and is determined to have the requisite skills to play at the Mustang level (a "Qualifying Pinto Player"). If the player is deemed eligible to play up in the Mustang division and plays in such division, that player is eligible to play on the All Star team for the Mustang Division only. MUSTANG Mustang Division is for 9- and 10-year-old players. No player turning 11 earlier than September 1 or turning nine (other than a Qualifying Pinto Player) later than August 31 of the season in question shall be eligible for Mustang division unless specifically approved by the Mustang Division Commissioner and the Executive Committee. 1 Updated November 2019. 1 BRONCO Bronco Division is for 11- and 12-year-old players. No player turning 13 earlier than September 1 or turning 11 later than August 31 of the season in question shall be eligible for Bronco division unless specifically approved by the Bronco Division Commissioner and the Executive Committee. ALL DIVISIONS Only players whose residence, as determined by the residence of their parents or legal guardians, (supported by school records), is within the approved league boundaries shall be considered “legal” players for league and tournament competition. Each player shall be accompanied by a parent or guardian, have his or her birth certificate and pay the Registration Fee to be eligible to participate in the league. Players previously registered may not have to bring birth certificates. Players are not eligible to receive uniforms or to play until all fees are paid. Registration and evaluations will be scheduled prior to the season to assign players to divisions and teams. Players registering after normally scheduled evaluations and assignments may be assigned to a team by the CHPBA Executive Committee and Division commissioner if it is in the interests of the league and Division to do so. Players registering after normally scheduled evaluations and assignments may be subject to an evaluation by the Evaluations committee before assignment unless a player evaluation form from the immediate prior season is on file. The assignment of new players after April 1 should only be done if the Division Commissioner believes that this player is necessary to improve the competitive balance or integrity of the Division. 3. PLAYER DROPS/WAIT LIST: If a player appears to have "dropped" from a team, the manager must notify the Division Commissioner within 24 hours. "Dropped" means (i) failure to show up to 3 team events (practices or games) without notice, or (ii) an affirmative comment that the family intends for the player to drop from the team. The Division Commissioner shall attempt to contact the family to confirm if the player has dropped or intends to drop. If a player is dropped, a new player shall be added to the team from the wait list. The Commissioner and the Executive Committee, in their discretion, may choose not to add players from the wait list after the season has progressed if they believe, for example, that adding a wait listed player would upset the competitive balance of the teams. The Division Commissioner shall maintain the wait list of all players who are eligible to be placed onto a team but have not yet been placed. This list shall be kept confidential by the Division Commissioner. 4. PLAYING FIELDS: PINTO Distance between bases: 60 feet Pitching distance: 38 feet MUSTANG Distance between bases: 60 feet Pitching distance 46 feet 2 BRONCO Distance between bases: 70 feet Pitching distance: 50 feet A. Boundaries: The boundaries are the first and third base fences projected to the outfield. Any batted ball leaving these boundaries is a “dead” ball and is not playable. Any thrown ball leaving these boundaries, or going into the dugouts, into the backstop wings, over or under any fence or screen bounding the field, into the equipment on the field except a bat in play, is a dead ball. The runner or runners are awarded two bases—the base they are proceeding toward plus one additional. B. Fences: PINTO Fences may be used in the discretion of the Executive Committee and the Division Commissioner. If fences are used, they should be placed as near as possible to 130 feet down the first and third base lines, and 130 feet in centerfield. MUSTANG Fences may be used in the discretion of the Executive Committee and the Division Commissioner. If fences are used, they should be placed as near as possible to 155 feet down the first and third base lines, and moving out to 170 feet in centerfield. BRONCO Fences may be used in the discretion of the Executive Committee and the Division Commissioner. If fences are used, they should be placed as near as possible to 200 feet down the first and third base lines, and moving out to 240 feet in centerfield. 5. EQUIPMENT AND UNIFORMS: A. Players must wear league-approved uniforms. B. Players may wear shoes with molded rubber or flat soles only. Metal cleats are not permitted. Penalty for use of illegal shoes shall be removal of the shoes from the game, and, if no other legal footwear is available, removal of the affected player or players from the game. C. All players must wear protective helmets while on deck, batting and as runners. Helmets may not be removed deliberately while running the bases. Penalty—runner is ruled out by umpire. If a player adjusts a helmet when a time out is called this should not be considered removing the helmet. The intent of the rule is safety. D. All catchers must wear protective cups and protective helmets. No skullcaps are allowed. E. Managers and coaches must wear jerseys and caps with their team insignias during the game, although it does not have to be a league issued jersey or cap. Non-adult base coaches (younger than 18 years of age) are required to wear helmets during the time they are coaching a base. 3 F. Equipment All bats must conform to the Equipment standards set forth in Rule 8.C of the Official Rules Promulgated by National PONY organization. (See www.pony.org.) PONY Baseball has adopted the USA Baseball Bat Standard (USABat). 2-3/4” barrel bats are not allowed. All 2-1/4” or 2-5/8” bats must be certified with the USABat licensing stamp (shown below). Please note that bats bearing the USABat licensing stamp first went on sale on or about September 1, 2017. Any bat purchased before that time will not have a USABat stamp and may not be used in league play. The Pony National Equipment Rules – as they are updated - shall override any inconsistency contained in these rules. G. Each manager is to provide one game ball to the umpire prior to the start of the game. Managers should have additional game balls available in the event the umpire needs more balls. H. No jewelry shall be worn by any player, except for medical identification. I. Players who do not wear protective headgear and catching equipment as required by these rules shall be removed from the game. J. All equipment must remain outside the 1st base and 3rd base fences, with the exception that bats and a bat rack may remain in the “on deck triangle” between the fences and the backstop fence. The only person allowed in the on deck triangle is the on deck batter. K. Any player having an injury that requires the use of a cast or similar (in the judgment of the umpire) device to support such injury shall not play in a game.